Stage 1 - Identify Desired Results

Establish Goals (MLR or CCSS): (G)
Common Core State Standards
  • Content Area: English
  • Grade Level: Grade 8
  • Domain: Writing
  • Cluster: Text Types and Purposes
  • Standard: 3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined
experiences or events using effective technique, relevant
descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

What understandings are desired?

Students will understand that: (U)
• writing narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or
events through playwriting will help them learn to empathize
with, and better understand others.
• re-writing a classic fairytale scene in play format will allow
them to write in a way which includes relevant, descriptive details,
which will cause students to evaluate more thoroughly what is truly
important to their story.
• writing well-structured event sequences will familiarize them
with the idea of working from the big picture toward more
detailed descriptions.

What essential questions will be considered?

Essential Questions: (Q)
• Why is it good for a person to imagine experiences or events?
• How does a story change in script format in comparison to other writing formats?
• Why are narratives important?

What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?


Students will know: (K)
Students will be able to: (S)
• Sequence and Timeline:
- A literal timeline of a
character's life will be used
to determine explain their
future actions and circum-
stances.
•Terminology:
- narrator, scene, act, climax,
exposition, blackout, rising
action, etc.
•Formulas:
- How does a character
become who they are?
- Why do characters do or
say certain things?
• Model well-structured event
sequences.
• Evaluate which parts of a story
are most important.
• Build from an overarching idea
toward smaller story details.
• Infer descriptive details from the
bigger parts of a story.
• Imagine experiences or events
through a narrative lens.
• Be aware of others lives in
comparison to their own.

2004 ASCD and Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe.